Todd Miner Law Wishes You a Happy & Safe Halloween

Posted By Todd Miner Law || Oct 19, 2015

It’s finally October here in Orlando! The weather is finally starting
to cool down, college football is in full swing (Go Knights!), and the
smells of pumpkin are beginning to waft through many local shops and businesses.
Those of you who have kids are likely spending the month preparing for
Halloween. Below you will learn more about this holiday along with some
tips to follow in order to avoid any injuries.

The Origins of Halloween

Derived from the phrase “All Hallows’ Evening,” Halloween
originates from an ancient Gaelic festival called Samhain, which was held
at the halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.
Samhain was a celebration of the harvest season, and was held in order
to prepare for the winter. The ancient Gaels who participated in Samhain
believed that on that date, the worlds of the living and the dead merged
into one, and if the souls of the dead were not appeased, they would cause
the destruction of important crops and foodstuffs before the grueling
winter. As a result, special protective bonfires were often lit, and individuals
would dress up in costumes and masks in order to appease the spirits that
visited them on that day.

Over time, the festival of Samhain began to change and evolve into the
Halloween we now know today. Although many of the ancient rituals of Samhain
have largely been abandoned, certain aspects such as dressing up in costume,
lighting fires in Jack-O-Lanterns, and trick-or-treating still remain
with us today. While children across many different countries continue
to enjoy these various aspects, this is not to say that Halloween is without
potential safety risks, especially given that children are walking on
the streets in the dark, and sometimes unsupervised.

Stay Safe! – Here Are Some Useful Tips

Along with Near Year’s Eve and Independence Day, Halloween is among
the top three holidays with the most injuries and deaths here in the United
States. On average, there are 5.5 child pedestrian deaths that occur on
Halloween, compared with 2.6 deaths for every other day of the year. Children
are therefore twice as likely, on average, to be struck by a vehicle on
Halloween compared to any other night. There is also a risk of Halloween
candy being poisoned or tampered with, but there have been very few examples
of any injuries having occurred from this.

In order to keep your kids and other loved ones safe this Halloween, follow
these quick tips:

Supervise your young children – A recent Halloween safety study showed that 12% of children who
are 5 years old or younger were allowed to trick-or-treat by themselves.
Parents should not be letting any child under the age of 12 to trick-or-treat
alone. If you have older children who do not want to go out with you,
ensure they go trick-or-treating with a group of friends, and discuss
Halloween safety tips (only walk on sidewalks, only cross at crosswalks,
etc.) before they go out.

Reflective tape – Less than 20% of parents use reflective tape on their child’s
Halloween costume. Reflective tape can help make your children more visible
to motorists. A bike light or any other strong, blinking light can be
used in substitute of reflective tape.

Safe Costumes – Ensure that your child’s costume does not have long fabric
that can easily be snagged or tripped on. If your child is wearing a mask,
make sure that he/she can see clearly through the mask.